In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night marks Lugubrious Garment’s first full-length release, though AMG readers may recognize man-behind-the-band Gabriele Gramaglia’s (GG’s) other projects. Cosmic Putrefaction introduced me to his corner of the metalsphere, assaulting listeners at the intersection of blistering hostility and star-bound synths. Vertebra Atlantis earned high praise from Dear Hollow on both their LPs, in particular 2023’s A Dialogue with the Eeriest Sublime and its fusion of dissonant death metal and blackened atmospheres. Despite In the Wide Vale’s debut status, I approached its stylings with some expectations of what I might hear. Given GG’s generally warm reception in AMG’s annals, does In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night maintain this trajectory or send me into a Lugubrious lament?
Although Lugubrious Garment will sound familiar to fans of Gramaglia’s other ventures, In the Wide Vale’s best touchstones exist outside them. Lugubrious Garment inhabits interstices between metal genres, blurring the lines between progressive death metal and technical thrash emboldened by lightly blackened frills. Defacement and Suffering Hour stand out as reference points (“…And Therein Plant, unto Their Souls Asunder,” “Transient Wounds, Spiritual Wilt”), although Lugubrious Garment forsakes dissonance in favor of sharp, serpentine riffs and dense arrangements. The resulting chaos weds Individual Though Patterns-era Death mixed with early 90s Gorguts (“Innocence as a Burden, Guilt as a Weapon”) in unholy matrimony, and the scope of ideas kindled by these descriptions affords a brief glimpse into the frenetic undercurrents seething In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night.
Compositionally, In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night sweeps through labyrinthine corridors with hurtling instrumentation that lends Lugubrious Garment intrigue and unpredictability. The strings on “…And Therein Plant, unto Their Souls Asunder” add depth to the track when they swell with sorrow while Claudio Invidia’s (Devoid of Thought, Nefastis) drumming batters via unerring grooves that drive songs in a jazzy style at once precise and relaxed. The focal point, though, is GG himself, as In the Wide Vale churns in a vortex of violent riffs tugged hither and yon by the winds of various genres. “…And Therein Plant, unto Their Souls Asunder” and “Transient Wounds, Spiritual Wilt” deal in scrambling death metal leads that scurry in restless fervor, and though “Profaned Fountain of Leaden Waters” begins similarly, it shifts into mid-tempo, heavy metal builds halfway through. “Eulogy of Deliberate Malevolence” kicks off with thrash-coded riffing that wouldn’t be out of place on a Miscreance or Dissimulator tune, and appears again on “Innocence as a Burden, Guilt as a Weapon.” On top of the guitar acrobatics and fluidity, GG plays bass and synthesizers while laying down sufficiently moldy, worm-ridden roars, and the net effect sees Lugubrious Garment skitter and slither in genre-bending audacity.
Lugubrious Garment covers vast tracts of aural ground on In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night, and they’re all rich and vivid. In addition to the intricate riffcraft, GG’s bass bludgeons its way into the mix with meaty grooves and a subtle tone that brings the oomph when needed but otherwise doesn’t overpower. It’s a nice touch on an album whose ambition occasionally edges past its cogency, which indexes my only qualm about In the Wide Vale—Lugubrious Garment throws so much into their compositions that some opportunities for further cohesion and tension slip past. Passages swarm with riotous pleasures guaranteeing unbridled fun from moment to moment, but the songs don’t always consolidate into something greater than the sum of their parts. “Profaned Fountain of Leaden Waters” ends with a beautiful, lilting piano piece, and although the keys faintly twinkle throughout the track, I find myself wanting more dynamic pacing during its seven-minute run. Closer “Eden Fades Like Blurred Nightmares” succeeds in this vein, but the reprieve’s impact could have been amplified earlier in the track list. Also, Andrea Morgan’s violin and viola on “…And Therein Plant, unto Their Souls Asunder” gleam with symphonic splendor when featured, but seem underutilized considering what they achieve in the spotlight.
In the Wide Vale of Uncreated Night never fails to supply a good time, and even after several listens I catch details I missed eighteen times before. Lugubrious Garment triumphs on their first LP, and for a guy constantly cooking up new music and projects, GG proves his well of ideas runs deep and refreshing. In the Wide Vale provokes excitement and curiosity about where Lugubrious Garment might go next, and given GG’s productivity I hope I don’t have to wait too long to discover what awaits beyond the Uncreated Night.
Rating: Very Good
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 16th, 2026
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